January Window

[DantheDon]

https://www.afc.co.uk/2023/01/31/vinnie-heads-out-on-loan/

Honestly a bit surprised about this I thought he was a decent enough player and one to keep.

[Jute]

Option to buy as well so looks like that’s him away permanently.

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, Reekie_Red said:

Loans ain't an issue either, TBH. If someone can do a job to help rescue our season then that's all we need ... and it also gives the new boss a summer to freshen things up their way without being stuck with a bunch of players signed by a managerless club

They are though. We've learned nothing about the importance of continuing to sign players in every window otherwise. McInnes' final window, signing three loanee strikers set us back a year in terms of the squad. Manager or not, we need to keep things ticking over with players going out and in. There is enough qualified people at the club to make signings in areas where we need players, and enough knowledge around the existing squad to know who can leave (within reason). An entire back line is having to be signed in the summer, that's an unacceptable position to be in, and pretty much setting up the new manager to fail. Experience tells us that we'll need to sign between 6-8 defenders to get four good ones. A new manager is always going to have to work with someone else's signings, we need to have transfers transcending the management team.

[RicoS321]

3 minutes ago, DantheDon said:

https://www.afc.co.uk/2023/01/31/vinnie-heads-out-on-loan/

Honestly a bit surprised about this I thought he was a decent enough player and one to keep.

A shame. Never really liked him if I'm honest, seemed a bit immature and huffy and didn't really back it up. I could see why he was signed, but we need to be feeding this data back into the system, as he clearly lacked the pace and strength to be able to cut it in the SPFL, which has since been repeated with Morris and the jury still out on Roberts.

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, Reekie_Red said:

Yep, the Daily Ranger is saying Stewart is wanted by MK Dons to help rescue them from relegation

Did the headline read: Stewart heads to Milton Keynes as Dons try to avoid relegation?

[Jute]

Stewart confirmed as going to MK Dons.

 

[Panda]

2 hours ago, SeeBass said:

Are you not thinking of that Scottish boy Alastair Reynolds who came over with Apollon Limassol for UEFA Europa League qualifying?

No, Angus MacDonald. How dare you suggest I might be incorrect about something. That's a banning offence surely?

[Panda]

Watkins staying, Anthony Stewart going.

What a great transfer window. 

[Jute]

Stewart deal is only a loan.

 

[OrlandoDon]

Wow, did not see Stewart leaving. I assume mccrorie will be captain? Or is that an incentive for shinnie to sign permanently?

don’t mind Vinny or any of the wide players leaving, actually thought one or two more would have gone. Still want Roberts given minutes, the rest have already shown they’re not good enough. I assume scales is suspended for tomorrow so the two new boys at the back and a new keeper?

don’t mind all the loans and short term deal, with no manager who in their right mind signs a contract. Interesting few weeks ahead!

[redordead]

Big statement firing the captain out on loan. 

Disappointed for Vinnie as we definitely have worse options.

This leaves us seriously short up the pitch unless miovski is suddenly going to turn into a player.

[Jute]

Another winger comes in. 

[Panda]

So squad is

GK: Gorter, Lewis, Ritchie, Roos

RB: Richardson, McCrorie

CB: MacDonald, Pollock, Scales

LB: Coulson, Mackenzie, Scales (potentially)

CM: Shinnie, Ramadani, Barron, McCrorie (potentially)

AM: Clarkson, Myslovic

Wingers/wide players: Roberts, Duncan, Hayes, Watkins, Morris, Markanday, Kennedy

Forwards: Duk, Miovski, Bavidge

Dunno if I'm missing anyone.

Issue with that is the abundance of right sided players (although should maybe discount Morris as he's unlikely to feature much). Roberts/Markanday both right sided. 

Both centre halves signed appear to be able to play both LCB and RCB. 
 

 

[Panda]

16 minutes ago, Panda said:

So squad is

GK: Gorter, Lewis, Ritchie, Roos

RB: Richardson, McCrorie

CB: MacDonald, Pollock, Scales

LB: Coulson, Mackenzie, Scales (potentially)

CM: Shinnie, Ramadani, Barron, McCrorie (potentially)

AM: Clarkson, Myslovic

Wingers/wide players: Roberts, Duncan, Hayes, Watkins, Morris, Markanday, Kennedy

Forwards: Duk, Miovski, Bavidge

Dunno if I'm missing anyone.

Issue with that is the abundance of right sided players (although should maybe discount Morris as he's unlikely to feature much). Roberts/Markanday both right sided. 

Both centre halves signed appear to be able to play both LCB and RCB. 
 

 

I did forget someone. Poor Dante Polvara.

 

[Reekie_Red]

Everyone forgets Polvara. When Ramirez jetted back home, Dante could be seen running on the tarmac with his arms outstretched, shouting "what about me?"

On the surface, a significant part of our defence is here on-loan. Under the surface, it's our achilles heel this season and I'm happy to see it completely rebuilt in the summer by whoever gets the job. But Stewart out to MK Dons is cracking news! He's just not good enough for the Scottish Premier - wow, i just caught myself saying that!

[RicoS321]

5 hours ago, Panda said:

So squad is

GK: Gorter, Lewis, Ritchie, Roos

RB: Richardson, McCrorie

CB: MacDonald, Pollock, Scales

LB: Coulson, Mackenzie, Scales (potentially)

CM: Shinnie, Ramadani, Barron, McCrorie (potentially)

AM: Clarkson, Myslovic

Wingers/wide players: Roberts, Duncan, Hayes, Watkins, Morris, Markanday, Kennedy

Forwards: Duk, Miovski, Bavidge

Dunno if I'm missing anyone.

Issue with that is the abundance of right sided players (although should maybe discount Morris as he's unlikely to feature much). Roberts/Markanday both right sided. 

Both centre halves signed appear to be able to play both LCB and RCB. 
 

I'm guessing Roberts and Duncan could both play left sided. That isn't the most worrying thing for me. 

Assuming that we stay up this season, our team for next season (removing those we know are gash) is:

Roos

McRorie, McKenzie

Ramadani, Barron, Shinnie

Roberts, Duncan, Hayes, Myslovič 

Duk, Miovski 

I've included Shinnie because he's here and probably has a high chance of signing. I'd say that there are question marks over McRorie, McKenzie, Ramadani, Myslovič and Roberts , regarding whether they're good enough for the first team. Duncan and Barron will be going into their final years, and we simply can't afford to offload them.

We're going into another season of transition, whether we like it or not. We're not adding 10 good new signings to that bunch in one window. We're worse off than last season in my opinion, with the club learning zero lessons. It's a bad situation.

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

The club is a joke at the moment. Realistically we could be fielding a team for the rest of the season where our goalie is on loan, 3 of the back 4 are on loan, a loanee in central midfield and a temporary manager. Ironically it is the sort of thing you normally hear about a  wee team after they have caused a massive cup upset. They’ll be pulling folk out of the main stand shortly and asking them if they can be on the subs bench. We’ve gone from having a supposedly excellent scouting system where we are covering the whole football world extensively with great data analysis to, it seems, a system where we are signing literally, anyone.

What is going on?

[OrlandoDon]

It’s only been two games but what’s the thoughts on pollock and Macdonald? They look decent additions but I guess the next game vs Celtic after over a week of training will be a good opportunity for judgement. No scales either next game. Think pollock is a solid young loon and I was disappointed he didn’t get his goal yesterday, certainly seemed to enjoy that moment. Macdonald seems to be the old experienced head. Any option of beyond summer with either or are they simply short term stays?

[OrlandoDon]

11 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

It’s only been two games but what’s the thoughts on pollock and Macdonald? They look decent additions but I guess the next game vs Celtic after over a week of training will be a good opportunity for judgement. No scales either next game. Think pollock is a solid young loon and I was disappointed he didn’t get his goal yesterday, certainly seemed to enjoy that moment. Macdonald seems to be the old experienced head. Any option of beyond summer with either or are they simply short term stays?

I’ll reply to myself after further reading. Macdonald is a short term deal not a loan, so I guess we have every opportunity to keep him if things go well.

pollock signed a 5 year deal when joining Watford for 250k in 2021. I guess a fee would be involved if it’s possible but I also think given the age/experience and previous transfer he’s affordable.

I like the youth / experience blend, plus I think both are cheaper options, maybe even as good, than scales? Harsh to judge scales though, I think he’s decent, it’s just been a shit season with poor play and players around him, tough to find form.

[RicoS321]

33 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

I’ll reply to myself after further reading. Macdonald is a short term deal not a loan, so I guess we have every opportunity to keep him if things go well.

pollock signed a 5 year deal when joining Watford for 250k in 2021. I guess a fee would be involved if it’s possible but I also think given the age/experience and previous transfer he’s affordable.

I like the youth / experience blend, plus I think both are cheaper options, maybe even as good, than scales? Harsh to judge scales though, I think he’s decent, it’s just been a shit season with poor play and players around him, tough to find form.

From first impressions, both are better than Scales. Scales a better footballer, perhaps, but doesn't have the strength and aggression of the other two. Pollock looks a little like McKenna did at that age and I think he'll move on to bigger things next season. MacDonald would be a great signing, but I'm concerned that he instigated the short term deal, rather than the club, with the intention of going back down south. He looks a very good fit for the SPFL, and is probably the exact sort of known quantity we should be insisting on for next season (assuming he plays as well over the next few games). 

[OrlandoDon]

19 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

From first impressions, both are better than Scales. Scales a better footballer, perhaps, but doesn't have the strength and aggression of the other two. Pollock looks a little like McKenna did at that age and I think he'll move on to bigger things next season. MacDonald would be a great signing, but I'm concerned that he instigated the short term deal, rather than the club, with the intention of going back down south. He looks a very good fit for the SPFL, and is probably the exact sort of known quantity we should be insisting on for next season (assuming he plays as well over the next few games). 

Pure speculation on your Macdonald take instigating the short term, perhaps he gets the long term after we punt Stewart and scales returns to Celtic? Who knows, but we seem to have found two decent defenders……for now!

[BigAl]

Particularly like the look of Pollock.

I can't see a way whereby if he is decent that a) Watford would sell him b) Even if they would, that we could afford the fee and c) That he would give up the remaining three years of his Watford wage for what we could pay him.

I could of course be completely wrong with all of that 

 

[sheepheid]

Plenty one game scouts on the go!

I’d need to see more. 

[Jute]

Think I will reserve judgement on defence until after next couple of games. Being down to 10 in first and Motherwell being incredibly bad in the second mean I don’t think we can judge either way yet. 

[RicoS321]

2 hours ago, sheepheid said:

Plenty one game scouts on the go!

I’d need to see more. 

Well, obviously. I like to give my first impressions on players, it shouldn't have to be said that they come with huge caveats and that they are just predictions. I've probably seen more of them in the last week than our scouts did before we signed them too!